It had been a while since anyone in the powerlifting community has seen Danny Grigsby step onto a sanctioned lifting platform. In his first competitive appearance since July 2022, the deadlifting dynamo “pulled” his way back into the immediate purview.
On Mar. 25, 2023, at the World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) Metroflex Battle for the Yard 8, Grigsby (110KG) captured a 467.5-kilogram (1,030.6-pound) raw deadlift while wearing just a lifting belt. Grigsby utilized a sumo stance and a hook grip. The athlete’s pull is an all-time raw World Record in the 110-kilogram weight class. It surpasses Grigsby’s peer, Jamal Browner, by 12.4 kilograms (27.5 pounds). Browner achieved the past record milestone of 455 kilograms (1,003.1 pounds) at the 2022 United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) Pro Raw Championships.
Over the past year or so, Grigsby has fluctuated between the 110-kilogram, 125-kilogram, and 140-kilogram divisions. Such versatility has facilitated the athlete now possessing the raw deadlift World Record in all three classes.
According to Open Powerlifting, Grigsby achieved his 125-kilogram record deadlift mark of 487.4 kilograms (1,074.7 pounds) at the 2022 WRPF American Pro. The powerlifting star would notch his 140-kilogram achievement of 464.9 kilograms (1,025.1 pounds) at the 2022 USPA Virginia Beach Classic 2. It was specifically this latter pull that saw Grigsby become the first-ever powerlifter to pull a raw deadlift with at least 453.6 kilograms (1,000 pounds) in a full power meet. Factor in Grigsby’s fresh 110-kilogram deadlift accomplishment, and he now has complete pulling dominion over three separate sections of the record books.
Danny Grigsby (110KG) | Top Stats WRPF Metroflex Battle for the Yard 8
- Squat — 352.4 kilograms (777 pounds) | Personal Best in Competition
- Bench Press — 196.8 kilograms (434 pounds)
- Deadlift — 467.5 kilograms (1,030.6 pounds) | All-Time Raw World Record
- Total — 1,016.5 kilograms (2,241 pounds)
In an Instagram post immediately following the contest, the athlete apparently “came short” of his overall expectations without elaborating. That said, he wrote that his latest record deadlift let him end the meet on a “high note.” In a separate post, Grigsby also announced plans to return to the 125-kilogram (275-pound) class for the WRPF American Pro 2, taking place October 27-29 in Manassas, Virginia.
At this point, hoping for a flourish from Grigsby any time he plans to deadlift should probably be the baseline expectation. He’s established himself as deadlifting royalty, seemingly always ready to conquer another loaded barbell.
Featured image: @dan_grigs on Instagram
